'Craiglee' Winery was established by James Stewart Johnstone in 1865 and the property continued to function as a winery until the late 1920s. The vines were uprooted and the property was used for wool and fat lamb production. In 1961 the Carmody family purchased the property and in 1976 re-established the vineyard.A coloured landscape photograph overlooking Craiglee Winery and vineyard as well as the Sunbury township and its surrounding hills north of the town. A roll of hay is in the foreground and a tractor near out buildings is to the LHS of the photograph.wineries, vineyards, johnstone, james stewart, carmody, patrick, 'craiglee' winery, george evans collection

The two homesteads are Ben Eadie and Craiglee, which were two of Sunbury's earliest vineyards that were established in Sunbury. James Stewart Johnson designed and built his concrete home, Craiglee, in 1865 where the previous year he had planted out his vineyard on the surrounding 26 acres of land.The property was on the east side of Jacksons Creek on Macedon Road. He concentrated growing Riesling and Hermitage grapes. After his death in 1896, his son Wilfred continued to produce wines until the late 1920s, when he pulled out the vines and concentrated on raising sheep for wool and meat. The Carmody family purchased the property in 1961 and in 1976 decided to replant the vineyard. Ben Eadie was built some time in 1863 and settled by the Eadie family who also were millers. The winery was built into the side of a hill close to the house but the Eadie family tended to concentrate on milling and retailing.In the earliest days of European settlement many wineries were established in the Sunbury area.Two non-digital sepia photographs have been mounted on cardboard. They are photographs of two homesteads with bare hills in the background. They were built in Sunbury in the early days off European settlementBen Eadie Vic. Craiglee Sunbury 1903john eadie, ben eadie winery, james stewart johnson, craiglee, wineries, vineyards